Visiting Fellow
Sam Adolphsen is a visiting fellow at the Opportunity Solutions Project. Sam previously served as Chief Operating Officer at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for three years. Prior to his time as COO, he served a short term as Deputy Commissioner of Finance for DHHS with oversight over a $3.5 billion annual budget that included the state’s Medicaid budget. In his role as COO of DHHS, Sam was responsible for oversight of the welfare fraud and welfare eligibility offices as well as all operations for Maine’s largest government agency.
Prior to his time at DHHS, Sam was the Director of Governmental and External Affairs for the Maine Heritage Policy Center, a public policy, free-market think tank. Before that he served as the Director of the Center for Open Government at the Maine Heritage Policy Center for three years.
Sam earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Husson University in Bangor, Maine. He lives on the coast of Maine, in the town of Hope with his wife Kara, and their two children, Troy and Karlyn.